


The Tale of Cinderui

by GoggleLad



Category: Cinderella (Fairy Tale), Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Cinderella Elements, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Pick Your Poison Writing Contest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29759238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoggleLad/pseuds/GoggleLad
Summary: Once upon a time there was a sweet young girl who lived with her two loving (albeit stuck-up and useless) stepsisters and their kind (but overworked) elder sister, in a kingdom far away.  This is the story of that girl's hardships, her kindness, and her wish.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 15





	The Tale of Cinderui

Once upon a time there was a kind, sweet, and hardworking young girl who lived with her older sister and her two stepsisters in a kingdom far away. This is the story of her hardships, her kindness, and her wish.

The older sister worked all day to provide for the family, leaving the three younger children alone at the house while she was away. The two stepsisters loved the kind youngest child dearly, however, the two of them were spoiled children that were accustomed to having their needs provided for, and were useless at taking care of housework themselves. So it was that all the chores ended up being done by the sweet youngest child.

Scrub, scrub, the child polished the floors until they were spotless.

“Ui, I’m hungry! Can we have lunch now?”

“Of course, Touka! There’s some leftovers from what Sis made for dinner, I’ll get them ready for us!”

Crackle, crackle, the child warmed up the stove and prepared the meal for eating.

“Ui, I’m unable to reach the book I would like. Would you fetch it for me?”

“Sure thing, Nemu! Stay right there, I’ll take care of it!”

Creak, creak, the child scaled the bookshelf and retrieved the novel to be read.

And so it went. While her brilliant stepsister studied the stars and exchanged correspondence with fellow researchers, the child washed the family’s laundry and repaired damaged clothes. While her genius stepsister scribed masterful stories and gorged herself on literature, the child swept the halls and collected firewood. And when her elder sister returned home, exhausted from work but still determined to prepare dinner for the family, the child was the one to scrub the dishes clean while the others relaxed.

“Thank you so much, Ui. Sorry to push this on you. I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“It’s no problem, Sis! You just rest, this is the least I can do to help out!”

So it was that the child worked herself to the bone every day, until her hands were rough and calloused compared to the soft hands of her stepsisters. But the child never complained, never bemoaned her fate, never begrudged her sisters, and always did her chores with a smile.

And when the day’s work was done, at long last, she was able to rest.

“Would you like to sleep with me tonight, Ui?”

“That’s not fair, Big Sis, you can’t sneak ahead like that! Ui, you’d rather cuddle with me, wouldn’t you? It’s fine, I’ll allow it.”

“Touka, there’s no way she’d pick you when you can’t even be honest with your feelings. I would love to snuggle with you tonight, Ui, if that’s to your liking.”

“Jeez, everyone, there’s no need to fight over me! We can all just huddle up together in one bed!”

So it was that every night, in that small and drafty house, the girl was always surrounded by comforting warmth as she drifted off to sleep. Her life may not have been an easy one, but she was loved, and love made all her efforts worthwhile.

~ * ~ + ~ * ~ + ~ * ~

This is a story that takes place in a far-off kingdom, about an earnest girl and her family that all do their best to get by. It is a story of love and fools, of geniuses and fury, of pride and charity. Above all, it is the story of a girl.

The youngest and gentlest member of the family had long been the one doing most the work around the house, keeping the house clean and presentable for her dear family. But today was different. Today, someone else was cleaning.

Swish, swish, _splash!_

“Uh, oops…”

“Wah! There’s water everywhere! Touka, what happened?”

“Um, sorry Ui. I just thought, you know, I’d be a little magnanimous and help with the proliferation of soap suds on the floor, and…”

“Your clumsy mopping knocked over the bucket.”

“Nya! Nemu, stay out of this.”

The youngest girl sighed but dutifully set about cleaning up her stepsister’s mess. She hoped that that would be the end of things. That, however, proved to be a mite too hopeful.

Fwish, fwish, _crunk!_

“Touka…”

“It wasn’t my fault! I was just using the duster, and it suddenly broke on me! I didn’t do anything wrong…”

“It’s fine, but… You have to be a little more gentle with the tools.”

The girl put the feather duster aside to try to repair later, as her overenthusiastic stepsister stomped away. Something seemed to have come over her stepsister today, but it was just resulting in more work for the youngest girl. And the day wasn’t over yet.

Fold, fold, _rip!_

“Touka!”

“Raaagh! These clothes are reprehensibly fragile! I was trying to fold them, and this one just… Blaagh!”

“…Touka, you’ve been doing this all day. I appreciate that you’re trying to help, but… what are you doing?

“Well… You know, you’re always doing all the chores around here. I thought you must be tired of that. So, out of the goodness of my heart, I wanted to give you a hand.”

The young girl smiled at her stepsister’s clumsy thoughtfulness. But it really was causing her too much work, so she begged her stepsister to stop, and with a forlorn look the other girl agreed.

But the next day, the clumsy stepsister had something new to show.

“Ui, look! I’ve made you a portable stepladder so that it’s easier to clean up high! And once we get this pulley system set up, it’ll be really easy for you to lift heavy objects! And I’ve got ideas for more tools that could make things easier for you, too!”

“Oh wow, Touka, thanks!”

“Well, you’re useless at doing the work yourself, so I guess this was the least you could do.”

“Aaah, I don’t want to hear that from you, Nemu!”

In the end, the youngest girl continued to be the one doing all the housework. But she didn’t mind it. As long as she got more moments like this, full of love and laughter, she’d work as hard as she needed to.

~ * ~ + ~ * ~ + ~ * ~

Perhaps you’re familiar with the story of a sweet young girl in a faraway kingdom, who toiled hard every day working to make her stepsisters happy. Though she was not the smartest, the cleverest, or the most skillful girl in her family, she was more earnest than anyone. This is the story of that girl, who possessed blessings and curses in equal measure.

Chirp chirp! When she wasn’t working the young girl would go to play in the forest, and the woodland animals loved her, for she treated all living things with love. The girl would always leave scraps and crumbs for the wild animals, even though her family barely had enough food for themselves. Whenever she found an animal that was hurt or sick she would take care of it and nurse it back to health, and the creatures of the forest always waited for the day that they could repay the girl for her kindness.

One day, their chance came. The girl left her house and ventured into the forest, looking like she was ready to cry and clearly not having any idea where she was going. A swallow that owed her a debt landed on the ground before her, hoping to help.

“Cheep cheep! Sweet child, you look troubled and desperate. What is the matter?”

“Oh, little swallow, it’s terrible. My stepsisters are so sick they cannot even leave their beds, and my big sister says even the doctors don’t know what to do, and even if they did we don’t have enough money to pay them. I want to help them, but all that I know how to do for them is gather firewood to keep them warm.”

“Tweet tweet! Fret not, child, for my brethren and I will do everything that we can to help you!”

From that day forth, the swallows of the forest would flock to the girl’s house, bringing what offerings they could carry. They gathered twigs for firewood so that the girl would not exhaust herself, they brought berries so that the family would not go hungry, and they collected herbs to help treat the ailments of the girl’s stepsisters. And yet, even with the aid of the swallows, the two stepsisters continued to grow more and more ill, and the girl began to fear that she would lose them.

At last, when it seemed that the withering girls were on the very cusp of death’s door, the smallest swallow of the forest approached the girl.

“Twit twit! The doctors may not know how to cure them, and the swallows may not know how to cure them, but I have flown far to speak to the prince, and he told me the way to cure the ones you love. Come with me, and I will show you the way.”

And so the smallest swallow led the girl through the woods, to the oldest and mightiest tree of the forest. The great tree towered over the girl, and its blossoms were a vivid pink that the girl had never seen before. And yet, the girl recognized this tree at once, for she had heard its tale from her stepsister. This tree, which had stood tall for a thousand years, held great power within its blossoms, and would lend that power to travelers in need. There was always a price, however, even if it wasn’t always clear at first. Those who accepted the gift of this tree’s might would not be able to flee from their destiny.

Knowing this did not dissuade the girl. And so she offered a fervent prayer to the tree and took a handful of beautiful blossoms from it, returning home to nurse her stepsisters. She crushed up the petals and brewed them into a drink, and served the drink to her stepsisters. The next day the two stepsisters awoke feeling as healthy as they’d ever been, fully cured and full of energy, and their elder sister remarked that it was a miracle.

The girl simply smiled and agreed. She did not take credit for their miraculous recovery, or tell them how hard she had worked to make them better, or what she and the sparrows had done. She simply told them how happy she was to see them healthy again. That was enough for her.

As long as they could continue to live those happy days together, she didn’t need anything more.

~ * ~ + ~ * ~ + ~ * ~

Have you heard this story? The legend of a kind girl with unlimited possibilities, her two genius stepsisters, and their elder sister that worked herself to the bone to take care of the family.

One day the eldest sister came home with a weary and brittle smile, and her caring siblings immediately realized that something was wrong. She tried to assure them otherwise, but they saw through her and wouldn’t accept her half-hearted protests. Eventually she gave in and told them what had happened.

“The bakery that I’ve been working at closed down. I’m going to look for a new job first thing tomorrow, but… Our budget is going to be pretty tight for a bit. I’m sorry.”

The younger sisters all assured her that she had nothing to be sorry about, and she smiled for them, but they all recognized it for the counterfeit that it was.

“We need to do whatever we can to ease Big Sister’s financial burden.”

“You’re right, Nemu! Let’s try to raise some money to make things easier for her.”

“Then, Ui and Nemu, you work on that, and I’ll go out with Big Sis to help her find a new job! She’ll be feeling better in no time!”

And so, with their plans decided, the three younger sisters took action. The next day the kind young girl and her bookish stepsister set out to make a food stall to try to make money. The bookish stepsister took charge of advertising, working to spread the word and draw people in, while the youngest sister took on the task of preparing the food. It was an enormous task for one small girl to do alone, but the resourceful girl turned to her friends the swallows, and they set to work aiding her in gathering and preparing ingredients. With their assistance she was able to do the work of ten men, and her clever stepsister drew in enough of a crowd to sell every last pastry that they made.

That evening, when their older sister returned with their other stepsister, they were excited to show how much money they had managed to earn. How proud they were, to be able to contribute, to ease their dear elder sister’s burden! And yet, when that dear sister smiled at them and thanked them for doing such a wonderful job, they could see the hurt that she was hiding behind the smile.

The three younger sisters put their heads together, and it gradually dawned upon them what the problem was. Their precious elder sister had had no luck in finding a new job, and while her happiness for them may have been genuine, so too was her despair at not being able to contribute herself. By being successful at making money, they’d made her feel unnecessary.

The earnest youngest child didn’t know what to do. She thought that she’d be able to make things better if she just worked hard enough, but this was a problem that she couldn’t fix just by working hard herself. She wished that she could take away her older sister’s pain somehow.

“We just need to find her a job! There may have been negligible options in town, but Big Sis is qualified enough that the odds of her not being able to get a job are infinitescimal! It’s just a matter of finding one!”

“Touka’s baseless enthusiasm is useless, but her point isn’t wrong.”

“Jeez, Neumu, you could’ve left off the first half!”

“The two of us have some contacts to draw on, thanks to Touka’s research and my writing. I’ll put together some letters to send out. At times like these, it’s best to work together with as many people as possible.”

And so it was that, not long after, the family received a letter from none other than the prince of the kingdom. He wrote that he had heard of their plight, and that there was an opening for a self-motivated maid at the palace. The elder sister clutched the letter close and smiled brilliantly at her sisters, and this time there was not a trace of hurt behind the smile. And they all knew that everything was going to be okay.

The youngest girl watched her older sister’s smiling face in awe. This was the second time that the prince had saved her family when she couldn’t do anything for them. She was truly thankful for that, and dearly wished that, someday, she could be amazing enough to save people like that too.

~ * ~ + ~ * ~ + ~ * ~

It’s the story that everyone’s talking about! This is the tale about a faraway kingdom, the kind prince in line for the throne, a hardworking girl that lives with her stepsisters, and the destiny that binds them together. It is a record of magic and miracles, of enduring love, and of costs gone uncounted.

One day it was decreed that there would be a royal ball held at the castle, and invitations were sent out across the kingdom. The invitations proved to be much coveted, and caused a splash the kingdom wide.

Even in a small house on the edge of the woods, where a family of four girls lived, the ripples of the royal ball could be felt.

“Touka, Nemu, you’re really both going?”

“Heehee, that’s right! Well, I can understand why they want me there. My research has been going quite excellently lately, and my correspondents have been very excited about it, so it’s only natural that they would extend an invitation to me.”

“Ui, be careful not to take after Touka, or you’ll end up with a fat head.”

“Hey! Nemu!”

“But yes, it is true. My books have apparently been selling very well, and my popularity has been growing. Some associates of mine arranged for me to get the invitation so that we can talk business at the ball.”

“Mgrh, it’s not fair that you two are going to go and leave me behind. But… fine. At least I’ll have Sis here to keep me company!”

“Actually, Ui, about that… I’ll actually be helping out at the ball as one of the maids. They’re paying me extra for it, and it’ll be good to be able to save up some money…”

The girl couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She felt betrayed! Everyone would be going but her, even though she worked as hard as anyone. All she wanted was to be happy together with her family, but it felt like her family was leaving her behind. And what’s more, there was a part of herself that she couldn’t explain that said that she was _supposed_ to be there at the ball. So the girl made a decision.

“I’m going too!”

“You can’t!” “You require an invitation to get in.” “Do you even have anything to wear there?”

To the girl’s surprise and frustration, she was met with vehement refusals and a flurry of excuses for why she couldn’t attend. It all seemed so terribly unfair that unbidden tears formed in her eyes. But she was a spirited girl, not to be defeated by only something like this.

Scritch, scritch, the first thing the girl did was write a letter. She explained her situation and why she wanted an invitation, and gave the letter to the smallest and bravest swallow of the forest, with a plea for the letter to be taken to the prince. Though she had never met the prince, she felt as if there was some unseen connection between them. Surely that wise and wondrous prince would understand.

Stitch, stitch, the girl worked on her clothes while she waited on her letter, sewing something that would be suitable to wear. The girl already did all of the laundry for the family and repaired damaged clothes, so now she worked with all of the extra scraps they had to make a dress that would be acceptable. The swallows lent their aid as well, scattering far and wide and returning with bits of fine string, scraps of silk that could be reused, and even small gemstones that could adorn the dress. Even when finished it was no equal to the fine dress of a highborn lady, but even if it was a bit common it was still a lovely dress, and the girl was proud of it.

And in due time, a reply arrived from the prince. The missive contained no written message, no words responding to her pleas, but what it did contain was answer enough, for in her hands the girl found an invitation addressed to none other than herself. She could feel the pull of destiny drawing her to where she needed to be.

Pitter patter pitter, she excitedly ran to tell her family the news, to show them her invitation and her dress. She had answered their objections, so surely now she could go to the ball with them!

And yet.

“I’m sorry, Ui. I can see how hard you’ve worked, but I won’t change my mind. You can’t go to the prince’s ball.”

“But Sis! I’ve been invited, and I have a dress! Why can’t I go with you?”

“You just can’t, and that’s that!”

The girl stomped to her room, but in her heart she was already thinking ahead. Even if she was forbidden by her sister, if she could find a way to show up then her invitation would allow her into the ball, even if her sister didn’t want that.

However, on the day that the ball was to be held, the girl found that her invitation had been torn up, and her dress smoldered in the fireplace. She whirled on her stepsisters, furious tears in her eyes, but they wouldn’t meet her gaze.

“Sorry, Ui, but… We had to do it! You absolutely cannot go to the prince’s ball!”

“Indeed, I hate to agree with Touka, but we did what was necessary. We promise to make it up to you afterwards."

So it was that the girl’s older sister and two stepsisters went off to the ball, leaving the girl alone in the house. And so it was that she ventured out into the words to have herself a good cry. And so it was that she ran across a small, white, catlike creature, who spoke to her without opening its mouth.

“Do you have a wish?”

~ * ~ + ~ * ~ + ~ * ~

Have you heard? Has anyone told you? The story of the sweet girl with the bossy stepsisters, the kind girl that has a way with animals, the hardworking girl that makes a wish and gets glass slippers. Is it a happy sappy story? Is it a bitter tragedy? A comedy? A drama? Listen until the end, or you’ll never know!

“Do you have a wish?”

Swish swish, the talking animal swiped its tail back and forth, its eyes fixed on the girl. She had heard fables of forest spirits that could take the form of animals and grant blessings to fortunate travelers, but she’d never met one for herself.

“I do. Are you a fairy that grants wishes?”

“I’ve been called that before. Tell me, what is it that you wish for? Tell me, and I can grant it for you.”

“I… I want to go to the prince’s ball. My sisters are all going, and I’m sure that it will be wonderful, and I’ve heard so much about the prince that I’d like to meet him. So… I wish I could go.”

Swish swish, the tail swiped back and forth. The small creature sat on its haunches and tilted its head.

“Very well. I shall grant your wish.”

The girl gasped as dancing lights erupted around her. A rainbow of colors twirled her about and then scattered, flying in all directions. Bibbidy bobbidy, and fallen leaves took to the air and twirled around the girl, becoming a fine silken dress. The swallows of the forest flocked to adorn the girl in precious gems, and presto, a mirror floated out of the house so that the girl could admire herself. Salagadoola, a peach from the garden grew into a grand carriage, and mechicka boola, a pair of swallows became a pair of fine white stallions. Bobbidy boo, the mirror became a pair of glass slippers that fit themselves to the girl’s feet. And, with a final kazamaram, the oldest and wisest tree of the forest was called forth in the form of an elegant young woman with a shimmering gown and hair the same hue as the tree’s blossoms. The shredded remains of the invitation to the ball collected in the young woman’s hands and reformed, good as new.

“| Your ride is ready, my dear Ui. Shall we alight to the ball? |”

Dazzled by the display of magic, the girl could scarcely contain her glee.

“Yes, oh please yes! Thank you so much, mister fairy, for granting my wish! How can I ever repay you?”

“You needn’t worry about that. This serves our interests as well. Go enjoy yourself at the ball, but take heed: the magic will end at the strike of midnight. That should still give you time aplenty.”

Clip clop, clip clop, the swallow-horses carried the delighted girl to the royal castle, driven along in her peach-carriage by her tree-girl guide. It seemed to her that this must be some marvelous dream, to have such magic and miracles in her life. The entire way she could hardly stop thinking about how magical the ball must be for the ride to already be this special.

It seemed all too soon that the carriage came to a stop and her driver was kindly helping her out. The sun had already set, and it seemed as though the stars had fallen to the earth below for the night was lit by a dazzling display of festive lanterns and braziers. Lords and ladies in elaborate outfits, dancing gracefully under the light of the full moon.

The girl couldn’t stop smiling as she joined in the festivities, twirling across the courtyard in her enchanting dress, helping herself to the delicious scones being offered, exchanging courtesies with the sorts of beauties she’d only dreamed of. It was a truly treasured time for her.

“Ui? Is that you? What are you doing here?”

The girl froze as she heard her older sister’s voice, having almost forgotten that she’d originally wanted to spend time with her family. She turned and saw that her two stepsisters were there with her older sister, their faces aghast.

“Wah! Ui?! You have to get out of here!”

“Where did you even get…? No, that’s not important, you need to leave.”

The girl huffed and stamped her feet.

“No! It’s not fair that you all get to be here and I can’t! I want to enjoy this incredible ball too! I want to spend time with all of you! I want a chance to meet the prince! I don’t want to be alone!”

“You don’t understand, Ui. I’m sorry, but you _can’t_ –!”

“No!”

The girl turned and fled from her family, running up the stone steps. She lost one of her glass slippers in her flight, and hesitated for just a moment, but then continued upwards. She came out into a clear area where there weren’t any other people…

Save for one.

_Have you heard? The tale of the Happy Prince!_

A lone figure dressed in royal attire, stark and statuesque under the moonlight. The girl forgot how to breathe, transfixed as she was. She could feel the weight of destiny pulling her inexorably forward.

_He gave away his gems and jewels, he gave away his friend and his life, he gave away everything he had to make the people happy. Until there was nothing left of him. Nothing left._

Her limbs felt like lead, but her feet stepped forward against her will. Pitter tap. Patter tip. The girl was scared, this dread figure was nothing like the prince she’d imagined, but she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t escape her destiny.

_Has anyone told you? The story of the new Eve, Shitori Egumo!_

The girl turned her head to look behind. She could see the faces of her family, her older sister and her two stepsisters. Their horrified expressions made the girl want to cry. But she couldn’t stop. Her whole life had led to this.

_She swallowed up all the world’s evils, the world’s burdens, the world’s misfortunes. She carried it all upon herself to make the people happy. She turned it into gems and those gems became her body, until those gems were all she was. All she was._

The prince placed his hand upon the girl’s shoulders, and she felt the grip of destiny tear her away from her old life. She watched as her family’s faces went slack, as they forgot her and the light of recognition faded from their eyes. She would have no place with them now. Her destiny was to exist for the people, for the sake of everyone other than herself, for all of time.

_How scary!_

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


~ * ~ + ~ * ~ + ~ * ~

  
  


There is an old story, long forgotten by most, of a kind, sweet, hardworking girl, who lived alone with her two loving stepsisters. It is a story of family and selflessness. It is a story of wishes and despair.

It is a story about a glass slipper.

The glass slipper belonged to someone very important to the girl, someone precious that she had forgotten. The girl’s stepsisters sighed and told her that she was confused, but she knew that it was true. The slipper belonged to someone special that had been lost, but the girl swore that she would find that person. She would find the person who fit the slipper, wherever in the world they might be. She had to.

Much of the story has been lost to time. Little is known of the girl’s quest, her struggles.

“ _Ui! Ui, I knew it! I knew that I would find you! Ui!”_

Though she did not know it at the journey’s start, the very destiny of the kingdom would be her foe.

“ _Uiiiiii! Wake up, Ui! Don’t you realize the amount of exertion it took for us to arrive here?”_

It surely was a difficult battle, which brought the girl to despair many times.

“ _You’re free now, we’ve separated you from that monster’s tale. You can come back to us.”_

Ultimately, there’s only one thing that we can be sure of about their story.

“ _Sis! Touka! Nemu! I wanted to see you for so long!”_

Love won out in the end.

“““ _Welcome back, Ui.”””_

**Author's Note:**

> I was writing a sweet fluffy Cinderella parody where the wicked stepsisters were actually kind (but useless), and then my fingers slipped and we ended up with some existential horror. Whoops! Since you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed the ride!
> 
> This was fun to write, getting to play around with a different style than usual. Hopefully the ending wasn't *too* abrupt, I tried to weave in plenty of foreshadowing that things weren't going to be as light and fluffy as they appeared in preparation for the twist. If you liked it, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you liked! If you didn't like it, PLEASE leave a comment so I can get an idea of how to improve!
> 
> There were quite a few references cooked into this. Obviously the whole thing is a Cinderella reference. Ui's talking swallows are a combination reference to Cinderella's animal friends from the Disney movie, and also to Embryo Eve's swallow familiars that collected impurities for her. The prince is connected to the tale of the Happy Prince, a story that is explicitly mentioned in the game's "A Fledgling's First Flight" event where the Happy Prince is compared to Ui's Doppel. The great tree is, of course, the Rumor of the Eternal Sakura. And for a little subtle touch, during Ui's transformation her dress is made from leaves, her carriage from a peach, and her glass slippers from a mirror, which are disguised references to Kaede (Kaede=Maple), Momoko (Momo=Peach), and Rena (who has rampant mirror imagery, and whose Doppel is Cendrillon and explicitly invokes the glass slipper).


End file.
